Fourteen years ago – January 14, 2011 – Lakewood Police Officer Chris Matlosz, age 27, made the ultimate sacrifice for the people of Lakewood. Officer Matlosz, proudly carrying Lakewood Police Department Badge #317, was brutally murdered by a wanted criminal he encountered in the line of duty.
Township Committeeman and Emergency Services Liaison Meir Lichtenstein said, “Chris was a uniquely exemplary officer and compassionate human being. Fourteen years may have passed but Chris’s memory and our appreciation for his sacrifice remain as strong as ever.”
“On this somber day, we also honor the memories of other Lakewood officers who have fallen or been injured in the line of duty,” Committeeman Lichtenstein added, “as well as the brave men and women in blue who put their lives on the line on behalf of Lakewood each day.”
Shortly after Officer Matlosz’s passing, Third Street between Clifton and Lexington Avenues where Lakewood Town Hall is located, was renamed by the Township Committee as “Matlosz Way” as a permanent tribute to Officer Matlosz’s memory.
